Have you ever
had the feeling that in spite of everything being close to perfect in your
life, you still feel a sense of emptiness? Even though we have received a good
education, enjoying optimal health, have an interesting friends circle, are
financially secure, deeply loved by our friends and family, pursuing a
successful career, have the latest gadgets, and the freedom to make our own
decisions, yet something seems to be missing.
We are unable
to figure out what is causing this emptiness, so we start looking at what is
lacking in our lives and seeking that out. We may go out shopping for more
clothes, shoes, gadgets, etc. or get into a relationship with someone to
fulfill the empty feeling, but we soon notice that our action has only brought
temporary satisfaction or was a mistake altogether. And, once again we seek to
fill that emptiness by making another purchase, and the loop continues.
By nature, to
be satisfied we must have certain needs met in our lives., Our first concern is
our physiological needs such as food, water, sleep, and shelter. Then we move
on to security, which is certainty of our health, finances, and employment.
Once we feel secure, we are able to strive to achieve our goals, and then seek a
sense of achievement that may include a career or relationship. For many of us,
this is the last stage that we strive for because at this point we are too busy
dealing with the tasks at the office or managing life at home. Life becomes
mundane and the only motivation for us to wake up in the morning is the
responsibility of having to dress the kids for school, cook for the family, complete
household chores, and get to work. By the end of the day we feel drained by all
the tasks that we have performed for others, but nothing for ourselves. This is
the reason for our feeling of emptiness, and is often fulfilled by a temporary
sense of satisfaction through retail therapy or indulging in unhealthy
cravings.
Once our basic
personality needs are satisfied, it’s time to fulfill the needs of the soul,
which will ultimately remove the feeling of emptiness. The first desire of the
soul is to grow and evolve. We can achieve this by participating in activities
that will challenge us and expand our minds, for example, this may include participating
in a healthy discussion on philosophy, joining a meditation or yoga class,
going fishing, skydiving, learning a new language, or even going back to
school. When we come across senior citizens who have decided to enroll in
classes again or involve in a new activity that doesn’t fit their nature, we
are often surprised. They do this simply because their soul is seeking to grow.
As soon as we move out of our comfort zone, we begin to challenge ourselves and
expand our minds. We start feeling more fulfilled and confident because we are
growing. It is difficult to find time for personal development these days, but
once we start and experience the joy it brings, we will make it a habit to
schedule time everyday only for ourselves.
As we grow, we
will automatically sense the second desire of the soul, which is the need to
contribute. Very often if you ask people what has made them truly happy, the
response would be that they have made a difference in someone else’s life. The soul
has a desire to offer its abilities to a cause larger than itself. We can
easily find a cause that inspires us, and devote our time, knowledge, skills,
and talents for at least an hour every week. This act of contribution brings a
sense of meaning and significance to our lives, and removes the feeling of
emptiness.
There has
never been a better time in history when we have had so much easy and
affordable access to knowledge, classes, or events. All we have to do is decide
what we want to learn, and dedicate a few hours each week to that activity.
This is also the greatest time to offer our support and skills to a cause, as
life is becoming more challenging for everyone, and those who are currently
contributing need our support.
If we are
feeling the sense of emptiness, let us seek to fill it with something of
value that will not just satisfy our personality needs, but make a difference
in our lives and the lives of others. Let us consciously expand our knowledge,
awareness, and talents by moving out of our comfort zone by devoting time to
our personal development, as well as contributing to making a difference in the
lives of others. As we nourish and serve the purpose of the soul, our dormant
talents, creativity, and sense of awe will come alive, which will ultimately lead
to a more fulfilled and joyous life.
“I slept and dreamt that life was joy, I awoke and saw that
life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” – Tagore
